Chapter 3 The True Heiress

The silence in the Maybach was suffocating.

Huo Tingyan's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. He turned to look at me, his dark eyes burning with a mixture of fury and concern.

"Jin'er," he said, his voice tight. "Tell me the truth. What exactly did your father mean by 'the family'? And what happened to your mother?"

I let out a slow, shaky breath. For three years, I had hidden this part of my life. I had played the role of a poor, naive country girl to escape the suffocating, deadly politics of my bloodline. But the mask was finally off.

"My real name isn't Su Jin," I said quietly, staring out the window at the passing city lights. "It's Jin Su. I am the eldest daughter of the Jin family."

Huo Tingyan's eyes widened a fraction.

The Jin family. The shadow emperors of the capital. They didn't just have money; they had military ties, underground connections, and a ruthless reputation that made the Huo family look like a small startup.

"My father, Jin Zhentian, is a monster," I continued, my voice hardening. "When my mother discovered he was embezzling funds and having an affair, he didn't just divorce her. He had her diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and locked her away in a private asylum. I barely escaped with my life three years ago. I changed my name, hid my background, and married Jiang Chen because I thought a useless, cheating husband was better than being dragged back to that hell."

Huo Tingyan was silent for a long moment. Then, he reached over and took my hand. His grip was warm, steady, and completely unwavering.

"I won't let him touch you," he said, his voice a low, deadly promise. "I don't care if I have to burn the Jin family to the ground. You are mine now."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed.

It was a video call from an unknown encrypted number. I exchanged a glance with Huo Tingyan, who gave me a sharp nod. I accepted the call and put it on speaker.

A middle-aged man with cold, hawk-like eyes and a sharp suit appeared on the screen. Jin Zhentian.

Next to him sat a young woman with heavy makeup and a smug smile my half-sister, Jin Yao. She was the daughter of my father's mistress, the one who had helped destroy my mother.

"Hello, dear sister," Jin Yao sneered, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "I heard you made quite a scene at a cheap hotel banquet tonight. Did you really think you could hide from us forever?"

"Jin Yao, what do you want?" I asked, my voice completely devoid of emotion.

"I want you to disappear," Jin Yao snapped. "You ruined my engagement party tonight! Everyone was supposed to be celebrating my marriage to the Zhang family's heir, but all they could talk about was your pathetic revenge plot! Father is furious."

Jin Zhentian leaned into the camera. "You have two choices, Su Jin. You can return to the capital tomorrow and publicly transfer all your shares of the Jiang Corporation to your sister as an apology. Or, I will release the medical records we forged for your mother, and I will personally send a team of men to drag you back to the asylum."

Huo Tingyan let out a low, mocking chuckle.

Jin Zhentian's eyes snapped to the side. "Who is that? Is that Huo Tingyan? I knew you were slumming it with the Huo boy. Do you really think his little billion-dollar company can protect you from me?"

Huo Tingyan leaned into the frame, a cold, lethal smile on his lips. "Mr. Jin, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Since you're so fond of digging up old medical records, I suggest you check your own. Specifically, your heart condition."

Jin Zhentian's face paled. "What... what are you talking about?"

"Your medication has been tampered with for the last six months," Huo Tingyan said smoothly, his voice dripping with venom. "Your beloved mistress and your darling daughter, Jin Yao, have been slowly poisoning you to take control of the Jin empire. But don't take my word for it. Check the pills in your bedside drawer."

Jin Yao screamed, "He's lying! Father, don't listen to him!"

But Jin Zhentian was already sweating, his hand clutching his chest. "You... how do you know that?!"

"Because I've had my eye on the Jin family for three years, waiting for the moment my wife decided to take her revenge," Huo Tingyan replied. "If you touch a single hair on Jin Su's head, I will not only send you the proof of your daughter's betrayal, but I will also release the audit of your offshore accounts to the international authorities. Your choice, old man."

The call abruptly disconnected.

I stared at Huo Tingyan, completely stunned. "How... how did you know about the medication? The offshore accounts?"

Huo Tingyan reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it, revealing a stunning, rare pink diamond ring.

"Because I am your husband, Jin Su," he said softly. "And I protect what's mine."

He slipped the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.

But before I could even process the romance of the moment, the Maybach was suddenly flooded with blinding light.

I looked in the rearview mirror. Four black SUVs had blocked off the alleyway behind us. In front of us, a massive truck slammed on its brakes, completely boxing us in.

Huo Tingyan's eyes flashed with danger. He reached under his seat and pulled out a black handgun, clicking off the safety.

"They didn't take the threat seriously," he muttered. "Stay in the car, Jin'er."

"No," I said, my hand shooting out to grab his wrist. I looked at him, my eyes blazing with the cold, ruthless fire of the Jin family.

I reached into my own purse and pulled out a small, silver pistol.

"I'm done hiding," I said. "Let's show my father what happens when he sends his dogs after me."

As the doors of the black SUVs swung open and dozens of armed men in tactical gear stepped out into the rain, the first bullet shattered the back window of our car.

And in the chaos, Huo Tingyan looked at me with a proud, wicked grin.

"That's my girl," he whispered. "But if we survive this, I'm taking you to the courthouse myself."